Methods of defiberizing bagasse



Aug. 28, 1.956 FREEMAN METHODS OF DEFIBERIZING BAGASSE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Dec. 2l, 1949 R. mm W mM VE d s F. A f1: xn u uw N MMMMMMFMW/ WW .Inv o o \N.\.% Q L NN n A W ld- IMI l l. AN\ NN SBT. I!

Nil ...UE

Aug. 28, 1956 FREEMAN METHODS OF DEFIBERIZING BAGASSE original Filed neg. 31. 1949 INVENTOR. L E'o FR E E M A N United States Patent METHODS OF DEFIBERIZING'BAGSSE Leo Freeman, Baton Rouge, La.,.assignorA to. Gruendlen Crusher and Pulverizer Co., St.-Louis', Mot, a corporaration of Missouri Original application December' 21, 1949, Serial' No. 134,231. Divided and this application' January 29,- 1951, Serial No. 208,361

4 Claims. (Cl. 19-8) This invention relates to certain new andv useful improvements in methods of detiberizing bagasse and is a division of application Ser. No. 134,231, now abandoned.

lt is the primary object of the present invention to provide methods for separating a pith-containing librous material, such as bagasse, into pith and liber in a simple, eicient, and continuous manner without cutting up the rfibers or materially reducing their lengths.

It is another object of the present invention to provide :a method for separating the libers from the pith in bagasse or similar fibrous mass which comprises the step of subjecting the bagasse to a water spray whereby the pith is removed by gravity through absorption of water and the fibers are carried along'by the spray for ultimate collection.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features ofform, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (two sheets)- Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a defiberizing 'machine constructed in accordance. with and embodying .the present invention; and

Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken ralong lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Figure l.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates a deliberizing machine comprising a rectangular casing or housing shell 1 having side walls 2, 2', and end walls 3, 3'. Suitably secured, as by welding, to the outwardly presented faces of the end walls 3, 3', adjacent their lower margins are angle sections 4, 4', respectively, the lateral flanges of which are each provided with a plurality of spaced apertures S, S', respectively, for receiving lag screws s whereby the machine A may be maintained rigidly upon beams or other supporting surface. Provided within the casing 1 is a partition plate 6 extending transversely thereacross in parallel relation to the end walls 3, 3', being spaced a relatively short distance from the end wall 3', whereby the casing 1 is divided into large and small compartments 7, S.

Centrally provided in the upper margins of the end walls 3, 3', and the partition plate 6 are aligned recesses 9, 9', 10, respectively, through which longitudinally extends a shaft 11, the ends of which project outwardly beyond the end walls 3, 3', and are supported by bearings 12, 12'. Said bearings 12, 12', are conventionally bolted upon horizontal cross plates 13, 13', respectively, which are, in turn, supported by brackets 14 welded, or otherwise suitably secured, to the casing 1. Adjacent each of its extreme end portions, the shaft 11 is provided with key-ways 1S for operable engagement with a conventional type prime mover (not shown).

Along that portion of its length which extends through the compartment 7, the shaft 11 is provided with a diametrally enlarged section 16 externally threaded at its opposite ends and keyed upon the shaft section 16 for rotation therewith is a plurality of rotor disks 17 separated by spacer rings 18. Adjacent their outermargins, the rotorv disks 17 are-provided with four equally spaced apertures 19aligned for receiving longitudinally extending rods 20 which are secured at their ends against the outer face offthe-end disks 17 by cotter pins 21. Swingably mounted on the rods 20 intermediate successive pairs of the rotor disks 17 is a plurality of hammer members-22. The iirst three sets of hammers 22 from the left end of the machine A (reference being made to Figure 1) are straight-ended and the remaining sets of hammers 22 are twisted at their outer ends.

Disposed about the lower portion of the hammers 22 is a semi-cylindrical foraminous screen 23 which is spaced upwardly from the lower margins of the end walls 3, 3', and the partition plate 6. At its upper margins, the screen 23 is secured to longitudinally extending angle members 24, 24', which are secured at their ends to the end wall 3 and the partition plate 6.

Mounted upony the shaft 11 within the compartment 8 is an agitator 25 comprising a half-collar member 26 having a pair of diametrally opposed outwardly extending arms 27 and a companion-member 28 provided with relatively short laterally extending anges 29 suitably apertured4 for receiving bolts 3i) for securement tothe half-collar member 26 about the shaft 11, with the flanges 29`adjacent'the inner portions of the arms 27- (Figure 3).

Welded or otherwise suitably secured along the upper margins of the side walls 2, 2', and end walls 3, 3', are outwardly projecting flange members 31, each having a plurality of spaced apertures 32 for receiving bolts 33 which extend through registering apertures 34 in a corresponding lateral flange 35 integrally formed-on a covering housing 36 havingintegral end walls 37, 37', and upwardly and inwardly extending side portions 38, 38'. Theside portion 38 is curved inwardly, as at 39, and thenceA outwardly to provide a humped portion or camel.- back` 40,'which" is disposed above theouter limits of the peripheral arc of the hammers 22 and interiorly provides a tube-like separator chamber 41 in elevated relation to, and communicating with, the compartments 7, 8. The end walls 37, 37', are provided centrally in their lower margins with recesses 42, 42', for co-operation with the recesses 9, 9', in the end walls 3, 3', respectively, in forming openings for the shaft 11. Adjacent and outwardly of each of said openings, there is disposed upon the shaft 11 an annular seal or packing ring 43 maintained in position by retainer members 44 suitably secured to the casing 1 and the covering housing 36 by bolts 45.

Provided in the upper portion of the end wall 37 of the covering 36 is an enlarged aperture 46 provided with an outwardly extending pipe-like iitting 47 integrally formed in said covering 36, said fitting 47 being provided on its outer end with a peripheral liange 48 for suitable connection to a conventional type of pressure-feed device (not shown). Also provided in the end wall 37 beneath the aperture 46 is a plurality of spaced, nozzle-like apertures 49 disposed in an arcuate formation slightly above the peripheral arc of the hammers 22. Connected to each of the apertures 49 is a pipe 50 leading from a conventional source of water (not shown). lt is to be particularly noted that the directions of feed, or longitudinal axes, of the aperture 46 and the nozzle-like aperture 49 are in parallel relationship.

In operation, bagasse or the pulpy fibrous mass is pumped under pressure through the fitting 47 into the separator chamber 41 in large volume so as, in eect, to choke feed the machine A. Water under pressure is sprayed through the nozzle-like apertures 49, sending a longitudinally extending spray of water through the separator chamber 41 which forms a conveyor-like blanket of water above the hammers 22. The incoming bagasse will, through its feed pressure and the driving pressure of the water, be carried through the separator chamber 41 along the water blanket formed by the spray, whereby any initial tendency to drop through gravity is prevented. As the bagasse or pulpy mass is so moved along, the pith readily absorbs substantial quantities of water, thereby rapidly increasing its density so that this added Weight will cause it to drop downwardly through the stream of Water and into the chamber 7, wherein it is subjected to a beating action by the hammers 22 and then descends through the screen 23 into any suitable collecting sump (not shown). With the removal of the pith, as so described, the fibrous portion of the bagasse is moved along suspended above the stream of water, being so held thereby above the hammers 22 and thus prevented from being damaged thereby. The fibrous material will, upon reaching the opposite end of kthe separator chamber 41, drop downwardly through the compartment 8 for ultimate collection in any suitable container. The agitator 25 serves merely to assist the downward descent of the fibrous material and prevent any undue clogging or damming within the compartment 8.

Thus, it will be seen that the fibers so discharged are in their normal form totally free of any pith and ready for further processing or use.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the apparatus and in the severalsteps of the method may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of separating a pithy fibrous material into fiber and pith said method consisting of the following steps: forming a rapidly moving hydraulic blanket, projecting the material upon the upper face of the blanket so as to be carried along therewith, and beating the under surface of the blanket and thusly removing therefrom the pith which has gained density due to absorption of liquid and has migrated by gravity into the region adjacent said under surface.

2. A method of separating a pithy fibrous material into fiber and pith, said method comprising the following steps: forming a horizontally moving hydraulic blanket of substantial thickness, projecting the material upon the upper face of the blanket so as to be carried along therewith, and beating the under surface of the blanket and thusly removing therefrom the pith which has gained density due to absorption of liquid and has migrated by gravity into the region adjacent said under surface.

3. A method of separating a pithy fibrous material into fiber and pith, said method comprising the following steps: forming a horizontally moving hydraulic blanket, projecting the material upon the upper face of the blanket so as to be carried along therewith, beating the under surface of the blanket and thusly removing therefrom the pith which has gained density due to absorption of liquid and has migrated by gravity into the region adjacent said under surface, and allowing the brous material to drop downwardly at the outer limits of the hydraulic blanket.

4. A method of separating a pithy iibrous material into fiber and pith, said method comprising the following steps: forming a horizontally moving hydraulic sheet of water of substantial thickness, projecting the material upon the upper face of the sheet so as to be carried along therewith, and beating the under surface of the sheet and thusly removing therefrom the pith which has gained density due to absorption of liquid and has migrated by gravity into the region adjacent said under surface.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,464 Thame Aug. 17, 1915 1,709,365 Newsom Apr. 16, 1929 1,733,256 Gardner Oct. 29, 1929 2,225,459 Palmrose Dec. 17, 1940 2,729,856 Horton et al. Jan. 10, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 883,874 France July 22, 1943 

1. A METHOD OF SEPARATING A PITHY FIBROUS MATERIAL INTO FIBER AND PITH SAID METHOD CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: FORMING A RAPIDLY MOVING HYDRAULIC BLANKET, PROJECTING THE MATERIAL UPON THE UPPER FACE OF THE BLANKET SO AS TO BE CARRID ALONG THEREWITH, AND BEATING THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE BLANKET AND THUSLY REMOVING THEREFROM THE PITH WHICH HAS GAINED DENSITY DUE TO ABSORPTION OF LIQUID AND HAS MIGRATED BY GRAVITY INTO THE REGION ADJACENT SAID UNDER SURFACE. 